Erdogan, Mishri Discuss Latest Developments in Libya

Military training in Libya supervised by Turkish officers south of Tripoli. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Military training in Libya supervised by Turkish officers south of Tripoli. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Erdogan, Mishri Discuss Latest Developments in Libya

Military training in Libya supervised by Turkish officers south of Tripoli. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Military training in Libya supervised by Turkish officers south of Tripoli. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Wednesday with Head of Libya’s High Council of State Khalid al-Mishri at the presidential palace in Ankara.

The meeting comes in line with Turkey’s intensive contacts on the developments in Libya and the ongoing preparations for the elections scheduled for December 24.

The senior figures discussed the developments in Libya and the upcoming elections, which Mishri rejects. He says the elections might lead to civil war if staged as planned.

According to Turkish sources, Erdogan stressed Turkey’s support for the Libyan government to achieve stability.

Election results will not be recognized because they lack credibility and acceptance by Libyans, Mishri says. He stresses that Libya’s stability relies on the extent to which parties commit to UN decisions.

Mishri says the laws related to the presidential and parliamentary elections include inaccuracies and violations, and that they were approved by the High National Election Commission without being presented to members of the House of Representatives for discussion and voting.

Prior to his meeting with Erdogan, Mishri met Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and discussed with him the current political situation and latest developments in Libya, the FM wrote on Twitter.

He expressed hope that stability, prosperity and peace would prevail in Libya, stressing Ankara’s continuous support.

Turkey's Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop also received Mishri and discussed with him the bilateral ties and developments in Libya.

Sentop underscored the ongoing cooperation between the two countries in all fields, including infrastructure, education, security, defense, development and trade.

Mishri hailed Turkey’s firm stances and support for Libya to confront all the challenges. He supports the Turkish military presence in Libya and hopes to expand ties with it in various fields.



Türkiye Detains Hundreds after Anti-Syrian Riots

Shops are seen on fire in Kayseri in central Türkiye. Photo take from X from video footage
Shops are seen on fire in Kayseri in central Türkiye. Photo take from X from video footage
TT

Türkiye Detains Hundreds after Anti-Syrian Riots

Shops are seen on fire in Kayseri in central Türkiye. Photo take from X from video footage
Shops are seen on fire in Kayseri in central Türkiye. Photo take from X from video footage

Turkish authorities said Tuesday they had detained over 470 people after anti-Syrian riots in several cities sparked by accusations that a Syrian man had harassed a child.

Tensions escalated from Sunday following violence in a central Anatolian city after a mob went on the rampage, damaging businesses and properties belonging to the Syrians.

"474 people were detained after the provocative actions" carried out against Syrians in Türkiye, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.

A group of men targeted Syrian businesses and properties in Kayseri on Sunday, with videos on social media showing a grocery store being set on fire.

In one of the videos a Turkish man was heard shouting: "We don't want any more Syrians! We don't want any more foreigners."

A court in Kayseri ordered the Syrian man's arrest late on Monday, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said, adding: "The child and her family are under our state's protection".

Officials said the child was a Syrian girl, who was related to the man accused of harassing her.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday blamed the opposition for stoking tensions and condemned the anti-Syrian violence as "unacceptable".

The unrest spread to several other cities late on Monday including Istanbul and authorities have often called for calm.

"Let's not get provoked, let's act moderately," Yerlikaya said in an appeal to Turkish citizens.

"Those who hatch these conspiracies against our state and nation will receive the response they deserve," he said.

Turkish police boosted security around the Syrian consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, deploying an armored truck and patrolling the vicinity, according to an AFP journalist.